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Fasano G, Petrini S, Bonavolontà V, Paradisi G, Pedalino C, Tartaglia M, Lauri A. Assessment of the FRET-based Teen sensor to monitor ERK activation changes preceding morphological defects in a RASopathy zebrafish model and phenotypic rescue by MEK inhibitor. Mol Med 2024; 30:47. [PMID: 38594640 PMCID: PMC11005195 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-024-00807-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RASopathies are genetic syndromes affecting development and having variable cancer predisposition. These disorders are clinically related and are caused by germline mutations affecting key players and regulators of the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway generally leading to an upregulated ERK activity. Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in PTPN11, encoding SHP2, a cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase positively controlling RAS function, underlie approximately 50% of Noonan syndromes (NS), the most common RASopathy. A different class of these activating mutations occurs as somatic events in childhood leukemias. METHOD Here, we evaluated the application of a FRET-based zebrafish ERK reporter, Teen, and used quantitative FRET protocols to monitor non-physiological RASopathy-associated changes in ERK activation. In a multi-level experimental workflow, we tested the suitability of the Teen reporter to detect pan-embryo ERK activity correlates of morphometric alterations driven by the NS-causing Shp2D61G allele. RESULTS Spectral unmixing- and acceptor photobleaching (AB)-FRET analyses captured pathological ERK activity preceding the manifestation of quantifiable body axes defects, a morphological pillar used to test the strength of SHP2 GoF mutations. Last, the work shows that by multi-modal FRET analysis, we can quantitatively trace back the modulation of ERK phosphorylation obtained by low-dose MEK inhibitor treatment to early development, before the onset of morphological defects. CONCLUSION This work proves the usefulness of FRET imaging protocols on both live and fixed Teen ERK reporter fish to readily monitor and quantify pharmacologically- and genetically-induced ERK activity modulations in early embryos, representing a useful tool in pre-clinical applications targeting RAS-MAPK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Fasano
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Stefania Petrini
- Microscopy facility, Research laboratories, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Valeria Bonavolontà
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Graziamaria Paradisi
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
- Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, 01100, Italy
| | - Catia Pedalino
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Marco Tartaglia
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy.
| | - Antonella Lauri
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, Rome, 00146, Italy.
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Deichsel S, Gahr BM, Mastel H, Preiss A, Nagel AC. Numerous Serine/Threonine Kinases Affect Blood Cell Homeostasis in Drosophila melanogaster. Cells 2024; 13:576. [PMID: 38607015 PMCID: PMC11011202 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Blood cells in Drosophila serve primarily innate immune responses. Various stressors influence blood cell homeostasis regarding both numbers and the proportion of blood cell types. The principle molecular mechanisms governing hematopoiesis are conserved amongst species and involve major signaling pathways like Notch, Toll, JNK, JAK/Stat or RTK. Albeit signaling pathways generally rely on the activity of protein kinases, their specific contribution to hematopoiesis remains understudied. Here, we assess the role of Serine/Threonine kinases with the potential to phosphorylate the transcription factor Su(H) in crystal cell homeostasis. Su(H) is central to Notch signal transduction, and its inhibition by phosphorylation impedes crystal cell formation. Overall, nearly twenty percent of all Drosophila Serine/Threonine kinases were studied in two assays, global and hemocyte-specific overexpression and downregulation, respectively. Unexpectedly, the majority of kinases influenced crystal cell numbers, albeit only a few were related to hematopoiesis so far. Four kinases appeared essential for crystal cell formation, whereas most kinases restrained crystal cell development. This group comprises all kinase classes, indicative of the complex regulatory network underlying blood cell homeostasis. The rather indiscriminative response we observed opens the possibility that blood cells measure their overall phospho-status as a proxy for stress-signals, and activate an adaptive immune response accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Deichsel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bernd M. Gahr
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Helena Mastel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Anette Preiss
- Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Anja C. Nagel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
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Xia D, Jiang D, Yu P, Jia K, Wang J, Shen D, Zhao Q, Lu C. Ras3 in Bombyx mori with antiviral function against B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 152:105114. [PMID: 38101715 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.105114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Bombyx mori ras protein3 (BmRas3) is a small molecular protein in the GTPase superfamily, which has the activity of binding guanosine nucleotides and GTP enzymes. It acts as a molecular switch by coupling extracellular signal to different cellular response through the conversion between Ras-GTP conformation and Ras-GDP conformation, thus regulating signal pathways responsible for cell growth, migration, adhesion, survival and differentiation. However, few studies have been done on Ras3 in silkworm, and its function and mechanism are unclear. In this study, we found that the overexpression of BmRas3 inhibited the infection of BmNPV(B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus), while knockdown of BmRas3 could promote the infection of BmNPV. In addition, after the BmRas3 in silkworm larvae was knockdown, the anti-BmNPV ability of silkworm decreased and the survival rate of silkworm was affected. Additionly in the cells with BmRas3 overexpression, the transcription level of BmMapkk6 、BmP38、BmJNK、BmERK1/2 and BmERK5 were significantly increased after BmNPV infection, and the transcript levels of BmMapkk6、BmP38、BmJNK、BmERK1/2 and BmERK5 were also inhibited to varying degrees This is the first report on the antiviral effect of BmRas3 in silkworm, which provides a new direction for further study on the anti-BmNPV mechanism of silkworm and screening and cultivation of anti-BmNPV silkworm strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingguo Xia
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212100, China; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China.
| | - Dan Jiang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212100, China; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China
| | - Pengcheng Yu
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212100, China; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China
| | - Kaifang Jia
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212100, China; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China
| | - Jinyang Wang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212100, China; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China
| | - Dongxu Shen
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212100, China; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China
| | - Qiaoling Zhao
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212100, China; Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China
| | - Cheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
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Haugen RJ, Barnier C, Elrod ND, Luo H, Jensen MK, Ji P, Smibert CA, Lipshitz HD, Wagner EJ, Lydia Freddolino P, Goldstrohm AC. Regulation of the Drosophila transcriptome by Pumilio and CCR4-NOT deadenylase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.29.555372. [PMID: 37693497 PMCID: PMC10491259 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.29.555372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The sequence-specific RNA-binding protein Pumilio controls development of Drosophila; however, the network of mRNAs that it regulates remains incompletely characterized. In this study, we utilize knockdown and knockout approaches coupled with RNA-Seq to measure the impact of Pumilio on the transcriptome of Drosophila cells. We also used an improved RNA co-immunoprecipitation method to identify Pumilio bound mRNAs in Drosophila embryos. Integration of these datasets with the content of Pumilio binding motifs across the transcriptome revealed novel direct Pumilio target genes involved in neural, muscle, wing, and germ cell development, and cellular proliferation. These genes include components of Wnt, TGF-beta, MAPK/ERK, and Notch signaling pathways, DNA replication, and lipid metabolism. Additionally, we identified the mRNAs regulated by the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex, a key factor in Pumilio-mediated repression, and observed concordant regulation of Pumilio:CCR4-NOT target mRNAs. Computational modeling revealed that Pumilio binding, binding site number, density, and sequence context are important determinants of regulation. Moreover, the content of optimal synonymous codons in target mRNAs exhibits a striking functional relationship to Pumilio and CCR4-NOT regulation, indicating that the inherent translation efficiency and stability of the mRNA modulates their response to these trans-acting regulatory factors. Together, the results of this work provide new insights into the Pumilio regulatory network and mechanisms, and the parameters that influence the efficacy of Pumilio-mediated regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Haugen
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Catherine Barnier
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
| | - Nathan D. Elrod
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77550, USA
| | - Hua Luo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Madeline K. Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642
| | - Ping Ji
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642
| | - Craig A. Smibert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Howard D. Lipshitz
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Eric J. Wagner
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642
| | - P. Lydia Freddolino
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - Aaron C. Goldstrohm
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
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Yoshida K, Hayashi S. Epidermal growth factor receptor signaling protects epithelia from morphogenetic instability and tissue damage in Drosophila. Development 2023; 150:297057. [PMID: 36897356 PMCID: PMC10108703 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Dying cells in the epithelia communicate with neighboring cells to initiate coordinated cell removal to maintain epithelial integrity. Naturally occurring apoptotic cells are mostly extruded basally and engulfed by macrophages. Here, we have investigated the role of Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) signaling in the maintenance of epithelial homeostasis. In Drosophila embryos, epithelial tissues undergoing groove formation preferentially enhanced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. In EGFR mutant embryos at stage 11, sporadic apical cell extrusion in the head initiates a cascade of apical extrusions of apoptotic and non-apoptotic cells that sweeps the entire ventral body wall. Here, we show that this process is apoptosis dependent, and clustered apoptosis, groove formation, and wounding sensitize EGFR mutant epithelia to initiate massive tissue disintegration. We further show that tissue detachment from the vitelline membrane, which frequently occurs during morphogenetic processes, is a key trigger for the EGFR mutant phenotype. These findings indicate that, in addition to cell survival, EGFR plays a role in maintaining epithelial integrity, which is essential for protecting tissues from transient instability caused by morphogenetic movement and damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Yoshida
- Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
- Department of Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Science, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8051, Japan
| | - Shigeo Hayashi
- Laboratory for Morphogenetic Signaling, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
- Department of Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Science, 1-1 Rokkodai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8051, Japan
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Yuen AC, Prasad AR, Fernandes VM, Amoyel M. A kinase translocation reporter reveals real-time dynamics of ERK activity in Drosophila. Biol Open 2022; 11:bio059364. [PMID: 35608229 PMCID: PMC9167624 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) lies downstream of a core signalling cascade that controls all aspects of development and adult homeostasis. Recent developments have led to new tools to image and manipulate the pathway. However, visualising ERK activity in vivo with high temporal resolution remains a challenge in Drosophila. We adapted a kinase translocation reporter (KTR) for use in Drosophila, which shuttles out of the nucleus when phosphorylated by ERK. We show that ERK-KTR faithfully reports endogenous ERK signalling activity in developing and adult tissues, and that it responds to genetic perturbations upstream of ERK. Using ERK-KTR in time-lapse imaging, we made two novel observations: firstly, sustained hyperactivation of ERK by expression of dominant-active epidermal growth factor receptor raised the overall level but did not alter the kinetics of ERK activity; secondly, the direction of migration of retinal basal glia correlated with their ERK activity levels, suggesting an explanation for the heterogeneity in ERK activity observed in fixed tissue. Our results show that KTR technology can be applied in Drosophila to monitor ERK activity in real-time and suggest that this modular tool can be further adapted to study other kinases. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marc Amoyel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Ketone Analog of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Exhibits Antioxidant Activity via Activation of ERK-Dependent Nrf2 Pathway. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12063062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Due to their robust antioxidant properties, phenolic acids and their analogs are extensively studied for their ability to activate cellular antioxidant pathways, including nuclear factor (erythroid-derived-2)-like 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway. Caffeic, ferulic, and gallic acid are well-studied members of phenolic acids. Constant efforts are made to improve the pharmacological effects and bioavailability of phenolic acids by synthesizing their chemical derivatives. This study determines how modifications of the chemical structure of these phenolic acids affect their antioxidant and cytoprotective activities. We have selected six superior antioxidant compounds (12, 16, 26, 35, 42, and 44) of the 48 caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) analogs based on their ability to scavenge free radicals in vitro using standard antioxidant assays. These compounds exhibited minimal toxicity as indicated by cell cycle and cytochrome C release assays. Among these compounds, 44, the ketone analog of CAPE, exhibited the ability to increase p-Nrf2 (Ser40) levels in 293T cells (p < 0.05). Further, 44, exhibited its antioxidant effect in Drosophila Melanogaster as indicated by an increase in mRNA levels of Nrf2 and GPx (p < 0.05). Finally, the ability of 44 to activate the antioxidant pathway was abolished in the presence of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor in 293T cells. Thus, we identify 44, the ketone analog of CAPE, as a unique antioxidant molecule with the function of ERK-mediated Nrf2 activation.
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Live imaging approach of dynamic multicellular responses in ERK signaling during vertebrate tissue development. Biochem J 2022; 479:129-143. [PMID: 35050327 PMCID: PMC8883488 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The chemical and mechanical responses of cells via the exchange of information during growth and development result in the formation of biological tissues. Information processing within the cells through the signaling pathways and networks inherent to the constituent cells has been well-studied. However, the cell signaling mechanisms responsible for generating dynamic multicellular responses in developing tissues remain unclear. Here, I review the dynamic multicellular response systems during the development and growth of vertebrate tissues based on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. First, an overview of the function of the ERK signaling network in cells is provided, followed by descriptions of biosensors essential for live imaging of the quantification of ERK activity in tissues. Then adducing four examples, I highlight the contribution of live imaging techniques for studying the involvement of spatio-temporal patterns of ERK activity change in tissue development and growth. In addition, theoretical implications of ERK signaling are also discussed from the viewpoint of dynamic systems. This review might help in understanding ERK-mediated dynamic multicellular responses and tissue morphogenesis.
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Motta M, Fasano G, Gredy S, Brinkmann J, Bonnard AA, Simsek-Kiper PO, Gulec EY, Essaddam L, Utine GE, Guarnetti Prandi I, Venditti M, Pantaleoni F, Radio FC, Ciolfi A, Petrini S, Consoli F, Vignal C, Hepbasli D, Ullrich M, de Boer E, Vissers LELM, Gritli S, Rossi C, De Luca A, Ben Becher S, Gelb BD, Dallapiccola B, Lauri A, Chillemi G, Schuh K, Cavé H, Zenker M, Tartaglia M. SPRED2 loss-of-function causes a recessive Noonan syndrome-like phenotype. Am J Hum Genet 2021; 108:2112-2129. [PMID: 34626534 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Upregulated signal flow through RAS and the mitogen-associated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is the unifying mechanistic theme of the RASopathies, a family of disorders affecting development and growth. Pathogenic variants in more than 20 genes have been causally linked to RASopathies, the majority having a dominant role in promoting enhanced signaling. Here, we report that SPRED2 loss of function is causally linked to a recessive phenotype evocative of Noonan syndrome. Homozygosity for three different variants-c.187C>T (p.Arg63∗), c.299T>C (p.Leu100Pro), and c.1142_1143delTT (p.Leu381Hisfs∗95)-were identified in four subjects from three families. All variants severely affected protein stability, causing accelerated degradation, and variably perturbed SPRED2 functional behavior. When overexpressed in cells, all variants were unable to negatively modulate EGF-promoted RAF1, MEK, and ERK phosphorylation, and time-course experiments in primary fibroblasts (p.Leu100Pro and p.Leu381Hisfs∗95) documented an increased and prolonged activation of the MAPK cascade in response to EGF stimulation. Morpholino-mediated knockdown of spred2a and spred2b in zebrafish induced defects in convergence and extension cell movements indicating upregulated RAS-MAPK signaling, which were rescued by expressing wild-type SPRED2 but not the SPRED2Leu381Hisfs∗95 protein. The clinical phenotype of the four affected individuals included developmental delay, intellectual disability, cardiac defects, short stature, skeletal anomalies, and a typical facial gestalt as major features, without the occurrence of the distinctive skin signs characterizing Legius syndrome. These features, in part, characterize the phenotype of Spred2-/- mice. Our findings identify the second recessive form of Noonan syndrome and document pleiotropic consequences of SPRED2 loss of function in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marialetizia Motta
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Fasano
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Sina Gredy
- Institute of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Brinkmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Adeline Alice Bonnard
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Robert Debré, Département de Génétique, 75019 Paris, France; INSERM UMR 1131, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Pelin Ozlem Simsek-Kiper
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Sihhiye, 06100 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Elif Yilmaz Gulec
- Department of Medical Genetics, Health Sciences University, Istanbul Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital, 34303 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Leila Essaddam
- Department of Pediatrics-PUC, Béchir Hamza Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis El Manar, Jebbari 1007, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Gulen Eda Utine
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Sihhiye, 06100 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ingrid Guarnetti Prandi
- Dipartimento per la Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università Della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Martina Venditti
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pantaleoni
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Clementina Radio
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciolfi
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Petrini
- Confocal Microscopy Core Facility, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Consoli
- Medical Genetics Division, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Cédric Vignal
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Robert Debré, Département de Génétique, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Denis Hepbasli
- Institute of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Ullrich
- Institute of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Elke de Boer
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lisenka E L M Vissers
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sami Gritli
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Tunis, 1002 Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
| | - Cesare Rossi
- Genetica Medica, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro De Luca
- Medical Genetics Division, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Saayda Ben Becher
- Department of Pediatrics-PUC, Béchir Hamza Children's Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tunis El Manar, Jebbari 1007, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Bruce D Gelb
- Mindich Child Health and Development Institute and Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bruno Dallapiccola
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Lauri
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Chillemi
- Dipartimento per la Innovazione nei Sistemi Biologici, Agroalimentari e Forestali, Università Della Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; Istituto di Biomembrane, Bioenergetica e Biotecnologie Molecolari, Centro Nazionale Delle Ricerche, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Kai Schuh
- Institute of Physiology, University of Wuerzburg, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Hélène Cavé
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Robert Debré, Département de Génétique, 75019 Paris, France; INSERM UMR 1131, Institut de Recherche Saint-Louis, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Martin Zenker
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marco Tartaglia
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.
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10
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Nakamura A, Goto Y, Kondo Y, Aoki K. Shedding light on developmental ERK signaling with genetically encoded biosensors. Development 2021; 148:271153. [PMID: 34338283 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway governs cell proliferation, differentiation and migration, and therefore plays key roles in various developmental and regenerative processes. Recent advances in genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors have unveiled hitherto unrecognized ERK activation dynamics in space and time and their functional importance mainly in cultured cells. However, ERK dynamics during embryonic development have still only been visualized in limited numbers of model organisms, and we are far from a sufficient understanding of the roles played by developmental ERK dynamics. In this Review, we first provide an overview of the biosensors used for visualization of ERK activity in live cells. Second, we highlight the applications of the biosensors to developmental studies of model organisms and discuss the current understanding of how ERK dynamics are encoded and decoded for cell fate decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akinobu Nakamura
- Division of Quantitative Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Quantitative Biology Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Yuhei Goto
- Division of Quantitative Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Quantitative Biology Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Yohei Kondo
- Division of Quantitative Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Quantitative Biology Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Aoki
- Division of Quantitative Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Quantitative Biology Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan.,IRCC International Research Collaboration Center, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 4-3-13 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
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11
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Zeng H, Peng F, Wang J, Meng R, Zhang J. Effects of Fruquintinib on the Pluripotency Maintenance and Differentiation Potential of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Cell Reprogram 2021; 23:180-190. [PMID: 34077681 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2020.0100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) can maintain self-renewal and differentiate into any cell type of the three primary germ layers. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is involved in the regulation of mESC differentiation and induces the activation of a series of kinase responses and several cell signaling pathways by binding to its respective transmembrane receptors, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor VEGFR1, and VEGFR2. Fruquintinib is a selective inhibitor of VEGFRs, and we used it to investigate the effects on the maintenance of pluripotency and differentiation potential of mESCs in this study. Our results showed that fruquintinib-treated cells expressed higher levels of pluripotent markers, including Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, and Esrrb under serum and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) condition, whereas the expression of phosphorylated Erk1/2 was restricted. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) signaling inhibitor (PD0325901) and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) signaling inhibitor (CHIR99021) (also known as 2i) enable cells to maintain naive pluripotency with LIF, and fruquintinib can also promote cells to maintain naive pluripotent state even under serum/LIF condition, whereas VEGF addition limits the pluripotency characteristics in serum/LIF mESCs. Furthermore, fruquintinib could inhibit the three-germ layer establishment in embryoid body formation and maintain the undifferentiated characteristics of mESCs, indicating that fruquintinib could promote the maintenance of naive pluripotency and inhibit early differentiation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyi Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fanke Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiachen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ru Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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12
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Jiang L. Insights Into the Antiviral Pathways of the Silkworm Bombyx mori. Front Immunol 2021; 12:639092. [PMID: 33643323 PMCID: PMC7904692 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.639092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The lepidopteran model silkworm, Bombyx mori, is an important economic insect. Viruses cause serious economic losses in sericulture; thus, the economic importance of these viruses heightens the need to understand the antiviral pathways of silkworm to develop antiviral strategies. Insect innate immunity pathways play a critical role in the outcome of infection. The RNA interference (RNAi), NF-kB-mediated, immune deficiency (Imd), and stimulator of interferon gene (STING) pathways, and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway are the major antiviral defense mechanisms, and these have been shown to play important roles in the antiviral immunity of silkworms. In contrast, viruses can modulate the prophenol oxidase (PPO), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways of the host to elevate their proliferation in silkworms. In this review, we present an overview of the current understanding of the main immune pathways in response to viruses and the signaling pathways modulated by viruses in silkworms. Elucidation of these pathways involved in the antiviral mechanism of silkworms furnishes a theoretical basis for the enhancement of virus resistance in economic insects, such as upregulating antiviral immune pathways through transgenic overexpression, RNAi of virus genes, and targeting these virus-modulated pathways by gene editing or inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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13
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Sawyer JK, Kabiri Z, Montague RA, Allen SR, Stewart R, Paramore SV, Cohen E, Zaribafzadeh H, Counter CM, Fox DT. Exploiting codon usage identifies intensity-specific modifiers of Ras/MAPK signaling in vivo. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1009228. [PMID: 33296356 PMCID: PMC7752094 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Signal transduction pathways are intricately fine-tuned to accomplish diverse biological processes. An example is the conserved Ras/mitogen-activated-protein-kinase (MAPK) pathway, which exhibits context-dependent signaling output dynamics and regulation. Here, by altering codon usage as a novel platform to control signaling output, we screened the Drosophila genome for modifiers specific to either weak or strong Ras-driven eye phenotypes. Our screen enriched for regions of the genome not previously connected with Ras phenotypic modification. We mapped the underlying gene from one modifier to the ribosomal gene RpS21. In multiple contexts, we show that RpS21 preferentially influences weak Ras/MAPK signaling outputs. These data show that codon usage manipulation can identify new, output-specific signaling regulators, and identify RpS21 as an in vivo Ras/MAPK phenotypic regulator. Cellular communication is critical in controlling the growth of organs and must be carefully regulated to prevent disease. The Ras signaling pathway is frequently used for cellular communication of tissue growth regulation but can operate at different signaling strengths. Here, we used a novel strategy to identify genes that specifically tune weak or strong Ras signaling states. We find that the gene RpS21 preferentially tunes weak Ras signaling states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica K. Sawyer
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Zahra Kabiri
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ruth A. Montague
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Scott R. Allen
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Rebeccah Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sarah V. Paramore
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Erez Cohen
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Hamed Zaribafzadeh
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Counter
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CMC); (DTF)
| | - Donald T. Fox
- Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CMC); (DTF)
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Motta M, Pannone L, Pantaleoni F, Bocchinfuso G, Radio FC, Cecchetti S, Ciolfi A, Di Rocco M, Elting MW, Brilstra EH, Boni S, Mazzanti L, Tamburrino F, Walsh L, Payne K, Fernández-Jaén A, Ganapathi M, Chung WK, Grange DK, Dave-Wala A, Reshmi SC, Bartholomew DW, Mouhlas D, Carpentieri G, Bruselles A, Pizzi S, Bellacchio E, Piceci-Sparascio F, Lißewski C, Brinkmann J, Waclaw RR, Waisfisz Q, van Gassen K, Wentzensen IM, Morrow MM, Álvarez S, Martínez-García M, De Luca A, Memo L, Zampino G, Rossi C, Seri M, Gelb BD, Zenker M, Dallapiccola B, Stella L, Prada CE, Martinelli S, Flex E, Tartaglia M. Enhanced MAPK1 Function Causes a Neurodevelopmental Disorder within the RASopathy Clinical Spectrum. Am J Hum Genet 2020; 107:499-513. [PMID: 32721402 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transduction through the RAF-MEK-ERK pathway, the first described mitogen-associated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, mediates multiple cellular processes and participates in early and late developmental programs. Aberrant signaling through this cascade contributes to oncogenesis and underlies the RASopathies, a family of cancer-prone disorders. Here, we report that de novo missense variants in MAPK1, encoding the mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (i.e., extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 2, ERK2), cause a neurodevelopmental disease within the RASopathy phenotypic spectrum, reminiscent of Noonan syndrome in some subjects. Pathogenic variants promote increased phosphorylation of the kinase, which enhances translocation to the nucleus and boosts MAPK signaling in vitro and in vivo. Two variant classes are identified, one of which directly disrupts binding to MKP3, a dual-specificity protein phosphatase negatively regulating ERK function. Importantly, signal dysregulation driven by pathogenic MAPK1 variants is stimulus reliant and retains dependence on MEK activity. Our data support a model in which the identified pathogenic variants operate with counteracting effects on MAPK1 function by differentially impacting the ability of the kinase to interact with regulators and substrates, which likely explains the minor role of these variants as driver events contributing to oncogenesis. After nearly 20 years from the discovery of the first gene implicated in Noonan syndrome, PTPN11, the last tier of the MAPK cascade joins the group of genes mutated in RASopathies.
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